When we were kids, we were the kings of barter before we understood the concept. Don’t believe me? Think about those packed school lunches. Everyone was checking out everyone else’s food, throwing out offers and trying to end up with the tastiest selections. Those miniature candy bars and Frito’s were like gold and we were able to be the masters of the trade.
Now that cash is no longer king, bartering is back. Craigslist.org alone has seen a 100 percent increase in activity on its bartering boards in the past year, and dozens of new websites are cropping up to help eager swappers find one another. Traders save hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars exchanging things as varied as photography, gymnastic lessons, and babysitting.
Whether you’re a freelancer, a small business owner, having a business requires money. It’s true that it takes money to make money, but the fewer dollars you have to spend to make your business work, the more you get to keep..
If you are prepared to pay someone for a service, and the cost of that service is comparable to what you would charge them for something, then Barter is a great option. Or, if you need your house painted and your painter needs help with a website or if you work in search engine optimization, you could trade monthly SEO work for that paint job.
But back to the example in the beginning. Remember the lunch trade I mentioned earlier? Well, I was able to earn that Snickers because I was working with friends.
Relationship-building is crucial for bartering. People who know and trust you are much more likely to accept a barter agreement. To foster those connections, join small business associations, networking groups and meetups whenever you can. Make a list of friends, colleagues, or existing business clients who might have what you want and want what you have.
Go to networking events and get to know people. Today’s casual acquaintance might be the key to tomorrow’s bartering win for you.
Liz Bowler
